1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for loading a wound magnetic tape containing cartridge into a deck.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate one of conventional apparatuses for loading a cartridge into a deck. The illustrated apparatus includes a cartridge tray 10 on which a cartridge 11 is to be mounted. Below the cartridge tray 10 is located a deck 12 to which a pair of springs 13a and 13b are secured. The cartridge tray 10 is supported by the springs 13a and 13b, and hence the cartridge tray 10 can move towards and away from the deck 12.
The cartridge 11 is formed at a lower surface thereof with circular positioning grooves 14 (only one of them is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2) so that the cartridge 11 is correctly loaded into the deck 12. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a pin 15 stands on the deck 12. In normal state, namely, while the cartridge 11 is not being pushed downwardly, the pin 15 is always below the cartridge tray 10. The cartridge tray 10 is formed at a bottom surface thereof with a through hole 16. As later mentioned in detail, when the cartridge 11 is pushed downwardly towards the deck 12, the pin 15 projecting from the deck 12 fits into the positioning groove 14 of the cartridge 11 through the through hole 16. Thus, the cartridge 11 is loaded into the deck 12 in place.
Above the cartridge 11 is located an arm plate 17 which is connected at one end 17a thereof to a sidewall 10a of the cartridge tray 10 so that the arm plate 17 is able to swing about the end 17a.
Above the arm plate 17 is located an arc-shaped motor crank 18 which is connected at a point 18a thereof to a motor 19, and thus the motor crank 18 is rotated about the point 18a while the motor 19 is kept on. A motor arm 20 is rotatably connected at one end 20a thereof to the motor crank 18, and also rotatably connected at the other end 20b thereof to a tension arm 21.
The arm plate 17 is formed at an upper surface thereof with a hollow cylinder 17b. The tension arm 21 passes through the hollow cylinder 17b so that the tension arm 21 is able to make slide movement through the cylinder 17b. The tension arm 21 is designed to pivot about a point 21a. Thus, when the tension arm 21 pivots about the point 21a thereof, the arm plate 17 is caused to rotate about the end 17a thereof together with the tension arm 21 which makes slight slide movement relative to the arm plate 17 within the cylinder 17b.
The tension arm 21 is connected at an end 21b to the cartridge tray 10 through a spring 22. Thus, the end 21c of the tension arm 21 is pulled downwardly by the spring 22, and accordingly, the tension arm 21 and hence the arm plate 17 is kept stationary while the motor 19 is turned off.
The illustrated conventional apparatus operates as follows. When the motor 19 causes the motor crank 18 to rotate about the point 18a by 180 degrees, namely, when the crank arm 18 rotates from a position A illustrated in FIG. 1 to a position B illustrated in FIG. 2, the motor arm 20 extends downwardly towards the deck 12, which causes the tension arm 21 and the arm plate 17 to rotate about the point 21a and the end 17a, respectively, towards the deck 12. As the arm plate 17 rotates, the arm plate 17 makes contact with the cartridge 11 and then pushes the cartridge 11 downwardly.
Thus, the cartridge 11 together with the cartridge tray 10 is pushed downwardly against the spring force exerted by the springs 13a and 13b, and then the pin 15 fits into the positioning groove 14 of the cartridge 11 through the through hole 16 of the cartridge tray 10. Thus, the cartridge 11 is loaded into the deck 12 in place.
In the above described conventional apparatus, the arm plate 17 is designed to make contact with and push the cartridge 11 at a central region of the cartridge 11. Hence, there often arises a problem that a summit of the pin 15 abuts a corner of the positioning groove 14, and thus the cartridge 11 is stuck on the pin 15, as illustrated in FIG. 2. When such a problem occurs, the cartridge 11 has to be reloaded until the pin 15 just fits into the positioning groove 14.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,031 issued on May 21, 1991 to Wada has suggested a similar apparatus for loading a cartridge into a deck. In the apparatus, a push rod which is designed to make pivotal movement in synchronization with a motor pushes a cartridge to thereby load the cartridge into a deck. However, this apparatus also may cause the same problem as mentioned above.